BOYERTOWN — When the Boyertown girls soccer team recorded an incredible 16 straight shutouts on the way to the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship last fall, senior Danielle Lentz was right in the middle of everything in more ways than one.

The defense-minded center-midfielder was not only an integral part of that impenetrable defense, but she also showed that she could put the ball in the net. She knocked in the winning penalty kick in the PAC-10 final against Owen J. Roberts, giving the Bears a second straight title and third in her four years on the field.

And while her high school playing days may be over, Lentz is all ready to go at it again in the fall after signing a National Letter of Intent to continue her studies and play soccer at Mansfield University. She plans to major in psychology at the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference school of over 3,000 students in the north central part of the state, a half mile from the New York border.

“I liked the campus when I went up,” said Lentz. “The campus is beautiful and I love it there. The coach (Tim Dempsey) was really personable and they have a good program for soccer.”

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Lentz visited Mansfield in July and that certainly wasn’t the only place she considered, with Towson, Bridgeport, and Delaware State also on the list of potential schools.

“My club coach Karl (Maehrer of the STM Lehigh Strikers) helped me a lot with college, gave me a list,” said Lentz. “He got me so ready for my college search. Mansfield was my comparison to all the others. The players made me feel comfortable.”

The fact that Mansfield is a smaller school was also part of the decision, and Lentz also didn’t feel the need to go to a school in a metropolitan area.

“When I went up for my official visit, the girls took me to a town about 15 minutes away where there’s a movie theater and bowling alley,” she said. “I have to maintain a certain grade point average, so that will help me keep a good balance. It’s a smaller school. I can keep one-on-one with my teachers in case I have to go away for games.”

All of which combined for a decision in November, one that Lentz is happy to have out of the way.

“I wanted to make the decision before school started,” said the daughter of Mike and Paula Lentz. “I didn’t want to have to deal with that during the school year.”

Lentz, who started playing the game since the age of three and has played for the Strikers for three years, scored six goals and added an assist during her senior season, but her leadership and contributions to the defense made the biggest impact on the Bears’ success.

“I sit back a little more,” she said. “I like to defend. That’s what’s fun. I think I have a good eye for where the ball should go and I get together with my teammates.”

“She’s extremely competitive,” said Boyertown coach Bill Goddard, who has known Lentz for most of her life. “I’ve had the opportunity to know her since she was four years old as a player and a person. She has a tremendous will to win. She helped our program win three championships in four years. She made an impact on our program the minute she came in as a freshman.”

Her winning penalty kick turned out to be her final play as a Bear.

“She missed our two district games because of a family commitment,” added Goddard. “This year, we played as she played. Before the penalty kick, I told her, ‘This is fitting that it comes down to you. I have no doubt that you’re going to walk to the spot and put it in.’

“It’s a great memory for her to have. She responded well.”

That wasn’t the only good memory from her high school soccer career.

“I’m going to miss my teammates most of all … talking in the hallways, sleepovers outside of school,” Lentz added.

Next she hopes to step right out onto the field for the Mounties, who went 3-12-2 last season, 1-11-2 in the PSAC.

“That would be nice,” she said. “(Dempsey) said I would have a good chance of playing as a freshman and starting.”